So after 2 month of despair, once we have learned that the wand that comes with the machine is a disaster to make good froth, after confirming that without the wand we are actually getting what we believe it is a good velvet milk ... after all this, we are still miserably failing in doing a proper latte art.

This is a perfect fail. We have had many attempts, whirling more, less distance, more distance, more foam, less foam, we are trying everything and nothing seems to work. So, perhaps the video ring a bell to somebody that could pinpoint what's going on here??

I'm far from an expert, but based on my own pourings I can suggest a few improvements (I'm assuming you're going for a Rosetta, at least, that's pretty much all I have experience with lol):

1) Cup size/shape. This one looks like a taller mug with not to wide a mouth. It's a lot easier with a shorter but wide cup. I tried several types of mugs before I could get something decent, and found the size/shape to be very important.2) Tilt the mug so that the spout of your milk jug can get as close to the surface as possible, as it's the close and slow pouring near the surface that allows the microfoam to float on the top. You will notice in other videos where people lower the milk jug when they start the art, it's because if they don't then the foam will drop under the surface because it's falling faster and won't float.3) Pour faster, so that the crema is broken and espresso/milk is moving when you begin the art. Part of the reason jiggling the milk jug back and forth creates the rosetta leaves is that the milk in the mug is spinning so that it draws out the jiggling motion into brown/white streaks of crema and microfoam. Tilting the mug also helps with this undercurrent in the mug.4) Start your art with the milk jug tip closer to the middle or near mouth of the mug and slowly pull back while jiggling, and then at the final moment elevate the mug a little bit and drag to the far/opposite corner of the mug. This will create the stem of the rosetta, as the raised height will cause the milk to "pull" the leaves into a point at wherever you're dragging.

Other than that, from what I can see the foam looks right in this video, so it's just down to refining the pouring technique! Keep it up, you're so close!! :)

Thanks a lot for the answer. I have to say that we can't find a good cup for the latte, all of them are just too high, so I guess we'll have to cope with this added challenge. We'll keep searching.

We've tried to apply your suggestions. So far I see that our problem is in the technique of the pouring, we cannot get the crema to come to the top and draw anything, so until we see this we'll just try and try. So far today's attempt (one per day) has failed, but I see some improvements. We'll see (and I'll post a video when so).

Just to see the impact of the mug, do you have a small bowl that might be the right size/height? One of the problems of a high mug is that the tip of the milk pitcher is too high when pouring, so that gravity will accelerate the milk to fall down faster by the time it reaches the surface of the crema, and the foam sinks instead of floating. Another problem is that it's hard to create the correct kind of swirling undercurrent in the liquid with this kind of mug. Wiggling into the current is what creates the alternating bands of brown and white to make the rosetta leaves.

Anyways, maybe try a few bowls of varying height to see how it changes the pour, then you can help narrow down what kind of mug you want to find??

I found old fashioned diner coffee cups at thrift store. Mine were from the 50s and 60s and hold about 7oz. They have a thin lip that I like rather than wide like a stoneware mug, wide top opening and the inside is like the inside of an egg, smoothly curved. I did not know they were collectible when I got them... Shenango china, New Castle PA. Anyway, if you can find them they are cheap at the thrift store because they look very plain and old fashioned. Often they are white or buff with a burgundy or green or blue stripes. They are almost indestructible because they were made for restaurant, hotel and military use and they are thick enough to hold the heat pretty well.

Symbols: = New Posts since your last visit = No New Posts since last visit = Newest post

Forum Rules:No profanity, illegal acts or personal attacks will be tolerated in these discussion boards.No commercial posting of any nature will be tolerated; only private sales by private individuals, in the "Buy and Sell" forum.No SEO style postings will be tolerated. SEO related posts will result in immediate ban from CoffeeGeek.No cross posting allowed - do not post your topic to more than one forum, nor repost a topic to the same forum.Who Can Read The Forum? Anyone can read posts in these discussion boards.Who Can Post New Topics? Any registered CoffeeGeek member can post new topics.Who Can Post Replies? Any registered CoffeeGeek member can post replies.Can Photos be posted? Anyone can post photos in their new topics or replies.Who can change or delete posts? Any CoffeeGeek member can edit their own posts. Only moderators can delete posts.Probationary Period: If you are a new signup for CoffeeGeek, you cannot promote, endorse, criticise or otherwise post an unsolicited endorsement for any company, product or service in your first five postings.